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Author: Editor
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The August 21st Total Sun Eclipse
The Eclipse in Ancient Myths
Man’s ingenuity and imaginative capacity are always fascinating and are nowhere more apparent, I think, than in ancient myths and folklore surrounding eclipses, solar as well as lunar!.
The lack of a scientific explanation was more than compensated for with ingenuously elaborate stories and since life activities, in ancient times, revolved mostly around simple issues as eating, eclipses were said to show celestial bodies being ‘eaten’ or having a chunk bitten off them. Monsters: a celestial dragon (China), wolves (Northern Europe), fire-dogs (Korea), a giant frog (Vietnam) or yet a bear (Native Americans) took a bite at the sun or moon according to whether it was a solar or a lunar eclipse.
This might well satisfy an ancient people wondering at a partial eclipse but would not satisfactorily explain a total eclipse. Here Indian folklore comes to the fore; the demon, Rahu, having disguised himself as a deity, steals a draft from the elixir of immortality and swallows it. The sun and moon, being witnesses to the act, quickly report it to Vishnu who just as quickly decapitates the demon before the elixir passes through to its body. Therefore the decapitated head became immortal while the body was not. In revenge the immortal demon-head swallows the sun or moon (total eclipse) but having no extension beyond the head means the swallowed sun or moon soon re-emerges intact. Revealing as these stories are, I think the African story of celestial bodies in mortal conflict and the need for humans, on earth, to patch up their quarrels and end all conflicts to effect a similar happy denouement in the sky is both touching and instructive.
Such ancient myths have left a diffuse emotional residue in modern man’s psyche. In spite of all our scientific and technological advance, some still fear eclipses and believe them to be portents or omens of doom and destruction. Fiza Pirani has probably hit the nail on the head when she traces the word ‘eclipse’ to its emotionally charged origin in the Greek language meaning ‘abandonment’. The sun was seen as literally ‘abandoning’ earth and leaving everything and everybody in the dark. Something akin to that sense of abandonment felt by humanity in its infancy seems to have remained in the genes and some people still today, in the 21 century, feel unease about eclipses. Especially so on behalf apparently of pregnant women and their unborn babies as well as very young children. F. Pirani traces this superstition, which is still alive today, to the Aztecs! It is with pleasure that one sees that Italy struck an independent note in ancient times in believing that flowers planted during eclipses grow brighter and more colorful than those planted at other times.
The American August 21st, 2017 total solar eclipse
Leaving these ancient myths aside, the American August 21st, 2017 total solar eclipse was truly the event of a lifetime for scientists, astronomers and ordinary citizens alike. It was “the first [total eclipse] to grace continental United States since 1979 (and the first to go coast-to-coast since 1918)”, as Christopher Crockett states in his delightfully informative article. He quotes the astronomer, Jay Pasachoff, a veteran eclipse-chaser having seen 33 total eclipses and 30 partial ones, on the immense impact of seeing a total eclipse on the human psyche with people cheering or crying from sheer excitement. The reason behind such great excitement is that although a few telescopes in space see some of the sun’s corona all the time, where the corona meets the sun’s surface is masked by the sun’s intensity. “Only on days of eclipses can we put together a complete view of the sun” according to Pasachoff.
The excitement about the exact moment when the moon’s shadow touches down “in the north Pacific Ocean that was given as 16:48:33 UT*, at local sunrise”. And at that spot “the sun will actually rise while totally eclipsed. This is a sight few people. From then on the moon’s shadow will race at full speed till it encounters US main land before it crosses from coast to coast. The swath of the shadow will touch the United States for only 1h 33m 16s – less than the length of a short movie! But in that time, many, many people in our country will have had their perceptions, and their lives, changed forever.
The 2017 Eclipse & Science
Several scientific activities were planned for the eclipse. NASA scientists were hoping that this total solar eclipse will help them determine the correct size of the sun.
Others researchers at Montana State University in Bozeman planned launching Over a 100 weather balloons at various parts along the path of totality to measure changes in temperature and wind speed etc. They are expected to soar to a height of roughly 30 km.
An exclusive four hours “2017 Total Solar Eclipse MegaCast” by NASA provided coverage of the path of totality as announced on (eclipse2017.nasa.gov). It allowed NASA to interact with the scientists and members of the public across the country as they all watch and study the eclipse. The MegaCast will be picked up by NASA TV as well as other national and local TV stations. Thus hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide will be able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event and will learn about it through NASA programming.
The August 21st Eclipse & Business
In conclusion, it is pertinent to note that this was also a big business opportunity with thousands of travelers flying from all over the world and unless people book with tour operators specializing in this field, some might end up with no accommodation. The good side was: there are tour operators for all pockets, from posh five-star hotels to camp-sites. The main attraction will undoubtedly be the solar eclipse but intelligent tour operators will combine that with visits to spectacular beauty spots and scenic forest or mountain walks. (www.eclipsetours.com). The business aspects of the event include also innumerable books and atlases not only on the great American eclipse of 2017 but on past and future ones. One example is the Thousand Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1501 to 2500 by Fred Espenak. There are also collections of cartoons on sale, such as Eclipse Nuts by Bill Kramer, the web master of www.eclipse-chasers.comwho is himself an avid eclipse chaser. Some of those cartoons can be viewed on line at: https://www.eclipse-chasers.com/eclipseNuts. There is already a kids’ Solar Eclipse 2017 Dinosaur T-shirt advertised on amazon.com. There are solar eclipse video games, TV episodes and programs; name it, you’ll most probably find it! Perhaps the only thing missing from this huge 2017 Solar Eclipse activity is a Solar Eclipse Cake or Solar Eclipse Vegan Kebabs! But who knows; some creative chef might yet surprise us with his/her culinary inventiveness.
Choosing Spot to Watch the Eclipse
We based our choice on the duration of the total eclipse and the weather forecast and it was a memorable day. The picture we are posting were taken at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. It was as predicted to be one of several good spots to watch August 21st total sun eclipse for one minute 55 second. Except for few minutes of passing clouds, August 21st was a sunny day at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall park.
A Memorable Day in the Bicentennial Capitol Mall in Nashville, TN
The Bicentennial Capitol Mall is a magnificent 19-acre park that gives the visitor a taste of Nashville, TN history as well. The state of Tennessee listed several other good spots for watching the total sun eclipse on that day. Everything was well prepared for the expected crowd of the event attendees.
On August 21st, the Bicentennial Capitol Mall was the spot for a fun day in the sun with all types of food, crafts, arts and activities for kids. Several music bands were playing music as part of celebrating the sun eclipse that all the attendees enjoyed. It was indeed a chance to experience one of the rarest celestial phenomenons in lifetime in one of the prettiest destinations in the South. During the total sun eclipse, it changed from full sun shine to darkness as seen in the photos we are posting for the park and park ranger.During the total sun eclipse unforgettable moments, the attendees were cheering, screaming of joy or even crying. We managed to photograph the sun’s corona and the different stages of the eclipse on that day. We will be posting more photos. For more information about the eclipse and the Bicentennial Capitol Mall please see the links below.
- https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipsws
- Jane J. Lee, in https:www.news.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11
- www.bt.com>news>science
- Quartz Media LLC (Article by: Ephrat Livni, June 28, 2017)
- www.ajc.com (Fiza Pirani – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Sat, July 22, 2017 Filed in National/World News)
- www.Eclipse2017.com
- www.Space.com
- www.scienceneqs.org/article/astronomy/eclipse 2017
- www.eclipse2017.nasa.gov
- www.bt.com>news>science
- www.chasers.com
- New Scientist: July 29, 2017
- Quartz Media LLC
- www.Eclipsetours.com
- http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/bicentennial-mall
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicentennial_Capitol_Mall_State_Park
- http://tnstateparks.com/activities/solar-eclipse-at-the-park-2017
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Lightroom On Tour 2017 in Los Angeles with Scott Kelby
Although it is indeed true that practice makes perfect, who in to-day’s fast moving world can afford the time to wait for that perfection that beckons at the far-off end of the practice tunnel?! The answer is bound to be an emphatic ‘No one’.
Training at the hand of the best and most accomplished practitioners of any art is the sure way to getting the optimum tips possible in the shortest of time span. A day’s seminar can encapsulate and offer you, on a golden plate, the fruits of years of experience and experimentation from highest-caliber experts saving you not only tons of time and money but also the numerous possible pitfalls and disappointments strewn along that above mentioned ‘practice tunnel’. This was exactly what awaited all those professionals and amateur photographers attending the one-day seminar: Lightroom On Tour 2017, with Scott Kelby – Los Angeles, California on Monday, August 14, 2017.
It is a single-day’s seminar; but what a day! Replete with amazing tips on Lightroom and Photoshop techniques and shortcuts that will ensure you that wow-effect that your images deserve. There were tips on how to organize your work in the best of practical ways and on how to unlock the full potential of Photoshop and Lightroom. The segments about tethering and making videos in lightroom were amazing. It was a day to cherish and remember.
Cherrybuzz.com invites all readers to share their experience with all Mr Kelby’s training products: online courses, books, different articles in the famous Photoshop User or Lightroom Magazines that they might have explored at https://kelbyone.com.
For the first time in Mr Kelby’s tours & seminars, he was delighted to see that one of the attendee proposed to his fiancé. Once the proposal was accepted the couple were clapped and cheered by all and, as a special gift, were awarded passes to the upcoming Photoshop World in Orlando, Florida.
We included several links for our readers for further information.
- https://kelbyone.com
- https://scottkelby.com/gear/
- http://kelbytv.com/
- https://scottkelby.com/tether-camera-ipad/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Kelby
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Cowboy Mounted Shooting 2017 CMSA Western US Championship
Like all other Rodeo events and activities, Cowboy Mounted Shooting has its roots embedded in old cow herding action in western US and northern Mexico and the sort of life activities that went with it. It looks back nostalgically at cowboy life thereby continuing the romanticisation of what was almost certainly a very tough life indeed. In modern times it has become a sport that tests the competitors’ horsemanship and shooting skills.
As a sport proper, it is fairly young in comparison to other sports. Thus the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA) was created in the mid 1990’s.
The events of this fast-growing equestrian sport take place naturally in a horse-riding arena. Dress codes apply though less stringently now than in the past. Thus in earlier days all competitors were required to dress in close imitation of cowboys of old times almost exactly as seen in old Western movies. Nowadays, this has relaxed a bit but a semblance of cowboy attire is still prevalent.
At a typical event, all competitors are expected to shoot ten (10) targets per course with two pistols each loaded with five (5) blanks. The horses they ride can be any breed they choose and the targets are elevated balloons of various colors usually one light and one dark in tone. Each competitor shoots five balloons with a single action, 45 caliber pistol, before changing pistols to shoot the next set of five balloons with his second pistol which is also loaded with five (5) blanks. The pistols are like ones used by cowboys in late 1800’s and early 1900’s cowboy films.
The ammunition used throughout the competitions is blanks for safety. When all competitors have done their part & all balloons have been shot at, winning points and penalties are calculated and a champion is declared. Winning points are based on speed, accuracy as well as following the course correctly while penalties include missed targets, knocked over barrels and missed course direction.
Depending on their scored, competitors are automatically promoted to higher levels so as to compete always with people of equal skills and to keep the sport fair for new-comers. We attended the Western US Championship event that was held on July 26-29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada that was had 268 competitors. The Eastern US Championship is scheduled on September 6-9, 2017 and the World Championship on October 18-21, 2017. The results of those events are posted on cmsaevents.com. For those enamored of the combination of equestrian and shooting skills, these events promise great fun.
During the 2017 CMSA Western US Championship in Las Vegas, NV, I had the opportunity to interview Mr Mark Marley, CFO of CMSA on July 28, 2017 & I asked him the following questions:
Q : Do you recall the youngest winner of past CMSA Championships?
A : Kody Clark (2016 CMSA World Champion). He started his involvement in the sport early in life. I think he was 22 years old last year.
Q : With the steadily increasing interest in Cowboy Mounted Shooting as a sport, are there any future plans for going internationally outside the US and Canada?
A : There are interested clubs in Europe, in Germany, Belgium and France. However, the gun laws in different countries might slow the process. Currently we do not have scheduled events in Europe.
Q : Are there regulations specifying the allowed guns or ammunition in CMSA Championship events?
A : All competitors must use two single-action revolvers of .45 caliber and CMSA certified blanks which contain black powder but no projectiles of course. Each revolver is loaded with five blanks. On CMSA web-site, we list the certified blanks that are allowed in the championship and in all our competitions.
For the benefit of our readers, it is pertinent to note that, with a single-action revolver, the user pulls the hammer back with his free thumb. Only the trigger pull releases the hammer. For the history of revolvers going back to 1855, please see the reference below. In Mounted Shooting competitions, the rider controls the horse with one hand and uses the other hand for shooting. This last includes changing revolvers since two revolvers have to be used for the ten target targets (balloons).
Q : what procedure does a range master goes through to become a Certified Range Master?
A : CMSA Certified Range Masters are responsible for making sure that our events are conducted under the rules and guidelines set forth in the Current CMSA Rulebook. Therefore, any current CMSA competition cardholder, 18 years or older and in good standing, can apply to become a CMSA Certified Range Master and must pass the CMSA Range Master Test for such certification.
Q : Are there any training opportunities for future Cowboy Mounted Shooters?
A : Newcomers to mounted shooting should get in touch with their local Cowboy Mounted Shooting clubs and seek training opportunities with an experienced member. Such training would shorten the training period and enhance their skills.
Q : As a pioneer of the Cowboy Mounted Shooting sport, does CMSA get requests for help in Western movie industry from Hollywood?
A : I think Hollywood has excellent teams of Mounted Shooters stunt artists. However, two CMSA members appeared on History Channel “Top Shot” television show: Denny Chapman and Eric Anderson.
At the end of our interview, I thanked Mr Marley for his time and the valuable information that he provided to our readers.
We included several links for our readers to browse for further information:
http://www.cmsaevents.com/competition/blanks.php
http://www.cmsaevents.com/clubs/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolver#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_Colt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_ACP
http://dennychapman.blogspot.com/
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2017 Guinness Record of the Longest Pizza in Fontana, California, USA
Pizza is popular; there is hardly a corner of the globe where you cannot buy. Almost everybody, young and old, go drooling at the mere utterance of the word. There are many authentic, traditional recipes and more pizza chains than there are perhaps for any other type of food.
The competition urge in humans, which we touched upon in our articles on racing (horses and/or cars) is present here, too. There have been numerous competitions seeking to establish which is best in presentation or taste or which chef is faster or neater in the making of his/her pizza, in other words tests of the skills of “dough-obsessed divas with superstar status”.
There is for instance the annual World Pizza Championship in Naples where judges have to sample innumerable pizzas in many categories. There have also been competitions for the largest pizza and in 2012 that was won by Rome with a pizza that measured 1261.65 square meters.
Preparation of The Longest Pizza However, the June 10, 2017 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California was different. It was an attempt by PizzaOvens.com and sponsors to set a new World record for the longest pizza ever. The work as planned occupied the area from outside of turn 3 of the legendary NASCAR oval track along the tram route to the fan zone (see below the link for the track map).
According to the earlier media release by PizzaOvens.com:
-The dough weighed about 17600 lbs
-The sauce weighed about 5.600 lbs
-The cheese weighed about 3.600 lbs
-Total weight of pizza is 26000 lbs (around 7,000 Pizza)
-The scaffolding was provided by At-PAC Scaffolding Solutions and erected by Scaffold Works and Capstone Scaffolding. Using GPS equipment, Joseph E Bonadiman & Associates Inc. (JBA) confirmed that the 700 section scaffolding covered 7,000 lineal feet.
-At its peak, the oven was moving at around 1 ft/Sec. The assemblers needed to work fast or the oven would catch up with them. The oven was cooking at 900*F and once it started it cannot pause or stop.
-The assemblers made up of top pizzaiolos from across the US rotated every four hours to stay fresh. It was estimated that the pizza would be ready to cut and serve at around 4PM. But people did not have to wait till then to eat; there was numerous food stalls offering a wide variety of foods and drinks. This is also a historic charity event as all proceeds and product will go to the local Homeless Shelters and Food Banks.
The oven is moving at around 1 ft/Sec. The event in Fontana successfully surpassed the last Guinness record of the longest pizza of 2016 which itself exceeded the length of the pizza of the previous year. In 2015, the longest pizza was 5,234 ft. 4.8 in /1,595.45 meters long. It was the creation of La Pizza+1 of Sante Ludovico, NIPfood of Dovilio Nardi and Tomato World Week 2015 at Milan’s Expo 2015. That record was beaten in 2016 when Napoli Village created a pizza 6,082 ft 3.40 in /1,853.88 meters long. The pizza was running all along the picturesque Caracciolo’s seafront. 250 proud chefs of traditional Neapolitan pizza gathered for the big event which was organized by Oramate, the company behind Napoli Village together with the Association of Neapolitan pizza-masters, the city if Naples and Univerde Foundation.
Certificate of 2017 Guinness Record of The Longest Pizza 
Fash Asvadi,Dir of Pizzaovens Inc & Sponsors Celebrating On June 10, 2017, the record was beaten and the championship moved west to Fontana, California, that currently hold the new record of 6,333 ft 3.6 in/1,930.390 meters long pizza. There was also live music and lots of entertainments for all ages ensuring a most enjoyable day for all the family.
The Longest Pizza event, as already mentioned, took place at the Auto Club Speedway which is about 45 minutes north east of Downtown Los Angeles. It used to be called California Speedway. The track is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation. Its construction, on the site of Kaiser Steel Mill, started in 1995 and was finished in 1996. Paul Tracy was the first driver to test the track. The official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony took place on June 20, 1997 with the first race, a NASCAR West Series, being held the following day. Like other race tracks, the Auto Club Speedway is often used in commercials, television shows and films. Most famous among those is the film The Bucket List (2007) which featured Jack Nicholson and Morgen Freedman driving a vintage Shelley Mustang and a Dodge Challenger around the two-mile track.
For more information please refer to the following links:
-http://www.PizzaOvens.com
–https://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Guest-Info/Maps.aspx
(The map for Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California)
–http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-pizza
–http://www.lapizzapiuuno.it/index.php?id=1294
–http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-pizza
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2017 Trans Am West Coast Championship at Willow Springs
After nearly a decade away, on March 25-26, 2017 the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli made its return to the West Coast, at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park in California. The event marks Trans Am’s first appearance in California since 2005. All the three participating classes were featured on iconic Willow Springs Big Willow circuit, 2.5-miles and nine corners of what has been called the “Fastest Track in the West.”
Drissi with his child The Winners
Los Angeles native Tomy Drissi won the Trans Am West Championship on March 26, 2017. Richard Wall came second and Adam Carolla came third.
Tomy Drissi in Car No.8
It was no surprise that Los Angeles Tomy Drissi won the Trans Am Championship on March 26, 2016; he started racing cars in the Mullholland Drive area of his native Hollywood at sixteen years of age! Those were naturally unofficial and not legitimate races but they paved the way for his future racing career. It was in 1993 that Tomy started legitimate vintage car racing at Willow Springs. But his style which some view as rather ‘aggressive’ led him to move on to standard and modern car racing. In 1999, he was Top Rook of the Year and in 2000 he had his first Trans Am win. His racing career has been long and varied. This year, he has so far come second in the season’s opener in Sebring to be followed by coming first in Willow Springs and the year is still young. Drissi has been recently named VARA’s first Hall of Fame inductee.
Cars No 8, 7 & 33 At this last race on March 26, 2017, his wife brought their two children to witness their first race. The Trans Am Champion & the driver of the No. 8 “Ghost in the Shell” Chevrolet Corvette said, “Racing out here at Willow Springs is always special … but winning, man … that’s just awesome”. Besides winning the TA Championship, Drissi also broke speed records and set a new fastest time for the week-end. In true sportsmanly manners, he praised his crew guys and the other competitors.
Richard Wall in No 7 Richard Wall in Car No 7
Richard Wall’s was a last minute entry and fully by chance. Wall’s last appearance in TA races was in 1985 at Mid Ohio but if this race was Adam Carolla’s TransAm debut, for Wall it marks a return to what was home for him in the 1984 and 1985 seasons. This week-end, Wall, who is from Whittier CA, happened to come upon a potential rental of No. 7 in the GoShare Corvettes of Burtin Racing. This clinched his return to the TA class after a full 30 years away from it. Claudio Burtin, team owner at Burtin Racing, was understandably over the moon with the result. In fact Wall came from his sixth starting position on the grid finishing the race second. Wall was full of praise for everybody; “It was great working with him [C.Burtin] and his GoShare crew. They gave me an excellent car — it was well prepared and great to drive. I did everything I could to get good results. Adam and I got the job done!”
Adam Carolla Adam Carolla in Car No. 33
The 2017 Trans Am West Championship was Carolla’s Trans Am debut and, for his performance during the race, he was given the COOLSHIRTS System “Cool Move of the Race” award. He said that “being asked to race in the modern Trans Am was a huge honor”. A.Corolla was driving the GoShare car No. 33 Corvette of Burtin Racing in this race.
Adam Carolla is a multi-talented American comedian who is also an actor and film-maker besides being a well-known tv personality and pioneer podcaster. In 2015, he co-authored and directed a beautiful documentary on Paul Newman’s car-racing career. Later he sold five vintage (Lamborghini) cars so as to purchase Paul Newman’s classic Porsche 935 for a hefty $4.4 million.Cherrybuzz.com will post more photos of the champion. Please let us know if you can’t see your or your favorite race car and will search our archive. For more information, please see the following sources: svra.com, roadandtrack.com, racer.com, motorsports.nbcsports.com, tommydrissi.com, forbes.com, IMDb.com & gotransam.com.
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The Arabian Horse in Scottsdale Arizona with a Nifty Historical & Literary Background
Last week, I attended the 62nd Scottsdale Arabian Horse show that has been held annually since 1955. The show attracts the best known owners, trainers & breeders from all over the world competing for the prestigious prizes. It provides a rare opportunity to enjoy seeing Arabian horses perform elegantly in beautiful sunny Scottsdale.
Beautiful Traditional Outfit The Scottsdale Arabian Horse show at WestWorld offers great satisfaction to all, whether you are a staunch fan of Arabian horses, an avid horse rider, a seasoned breeder or only curious about horses. It is also family friendly with pony rides, painting competitions for kids & camel rides for adults. There is more over the chance to purchase exceptionally high quality merchandise; that includes fashionable leather goods as well as farm & home produce. There is practically almost everything to make a great day out, from a variety of world cuisines to sample to massage services to enjoy. Nothing seems to have been left out. The organizers are determined to cater for & please all; thus there are even canine goodies & grooming services on offer for a man’s best friend.
You need to mark the week & the month in your diary for 2018, if you don’t wish to miss the fun. It’s a memorable time full of promise starting on 15 to 25 February, 2018.
Painting Competitions for Kids. Merchandize & Camel Rides 
The presence of international breeders was vivid Horses in History
The Horses Move in Elegance Horses are fine animals which have accompanied man in numerous activities through the centuries. Where they first made an appearance in human settlements is often a bone of contention. Many believe, however, that they were probably known & abounded in America before they made their way to central Asia, Europe & the rest of the world. While this point is open to debate, what is not debatable is that horses have been crucial to many human settlements alike as a source of meat, milk as well as for work in the fields & rounding/driving cattle.
Daily Thrills Another bone of contention concerns the moment in time when other horse potential was recognized with the result that farm tasks were relegated to cows or oxen while horses were freed to play a major role in the battle-field.
Horse-drawn war chariots preceded their use by national heroes & later knights in jousts & in cavalry squadrons. Of the former, ancient wall paintings give an ample record. Of the latter, there are also numerous literary examples ranging from deception as in Homer’s Iliad, i.e. the famous Trojan Horse (1200 BC) to Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe (1820). The fame of Arabian horses has thus been long established & led even to George Washington’s interest in them during the fight for American independence.
There are different breeds of horses but the Arabian horses are the most easy to distinguish besides being highly prized for their beauty, loyalty to their owners and their speed.The Arabian Horse in Literature
To own one or more thoroughbred Arab horse is also a status symbol like owning a Ferrari or a Rolls Royce! Thus in D. H. Lawrence’s novel, Women in Love, the wealthy industrialist Gerald Crich is riding an Arabian mare. This is intended to emphasize not only wealth but also his family’s status & the global reach of their influence. 
Horses have also been often used in literature as symbols. Gerald Crich’s afore-mentioned Arab mare is one such example. The famous railway crossing scene in the novel where Gerald is seen using his will power to control the sensitive Arab mare that recoiled violently at the clinking wagons foreshadows his relationship with Gudrun Brangwen. She is there with her sister Ursula witnessing the scene & her physical reaction confirms the symbolic reference. The scene “made Gudrun faint with poignant dizziness, which penetrated her heart”.Arabic literature, especially Arabic poetry, abounds with references to Arabian horses. In ancient times, Bedouins have extolled the praises of their purebred Arabian horses for their beauty, their pride and intelligence, and their loyalty to their owners. They were so highly prized that one legend makes even angels envy them Adam’s love. According to the Arabian Horse Association, “the breed possibly came from northern Syria or southern Turkey, or even the south-west of the Arabian Peninsula. But by 2.500 BC, when the Bedouins first ventured into the harsh interior of central Arabia, they took with them the prototype of the modern Arabian horse.”
The care and breeding of purebred Arabian horses are very important to modern Arabs. Many prominent breeders of Arabian horses are located in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In Dubai, there is even a specialist museum called The House of the Horse where Arabian horse lovers find all they need to know about bloodlines, physiology, the role of Arabian horses in Islam & Arabic literature. The prominent position the Arabian horse held in Arabic literature can perhaps be attested by two poems, one by the famous ancient poet Imru’ al-Qays in which he says of his Arabian horse “He has the loins of a gazelle, the thighs of an ostrich; he gallops like a wolf & canters like a fox.” The second poem is also by an equally famous poet but a modern. It is a poem by Prince Khalid al-Faysal Al Saud who calls Arabian mares “Daughters of the Wind”:
Of the daughters of the wind, I have a flighty chestnut one;
When flighty, she’s like the desert gazelle.
Coveted by every rider and by horse experts;
Her beauty is in her delicacy and majesty.Apart from history & literature, horses figure prominently in rodeos, in bull-fighting contests & most importantly in horse-riding as a sport and in horse racing. The latter is called the sport of kings! Famous venues, Ascot & the Derby for example, attract high society celebrities & often set the fashion for months on end, especially in ladies’ hats! There are also charities that look after abandoned or abused horses as: the California Coastal Horse Rescue (CCHR), Oak View, CA and the Donkey Sanctuary on the Jurassic Coast in Devon, UK, to name a few. Last year, Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show was proud to contribute to/support several charities as: Arabian Horseman’s Distress (AHDF) Fund, ASU Western Equestrian Team and SCC Equine Sciences Scholarships.
For further reading, please see the following sources:
Lawrence’s Women in Love: First Publication by Seltzer in New York City on 9 November 1920.
http://www.hawanaajd.com/dewan/poem27.html -
The 2016 PBR World Finals Champion Results
The 2016 PBR World Finals contests have exceeded all expectations in thrills and surprises. The event surpassed most previous years’ contests in glamour and breathtaking excitement. Among the announced results: Cooper Davis (Buna, TX) ended the finals as the 16th World Champion and received the World Champion Coveted gold buckle and one million dollar extra earning. Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, OK) won the World Finals title and $250,000 extra earning.
The top ten winners with total earning in the 2016 champion were: Ryan Dirteater ($317,916.67), Guilherme Marchi ($214,833.33), Cooper Davis ($1,148,500.00), Ty Pozzobon ($97,500.00), J.B. Mauney ($113,500.00), Kaique Pacheco ($100,000.00), Chase Outlaw ($63,000.00), Valdiron de Oliveira ( $43,333.33), Stetson Lawrence ($38,500.00) & Joao Ricardo Vieira ($29,000.00).
J.B.Mauney (Mooresville, NC) the first bull rider to earn $7 million in career earnings, has ended this event with exhilarating performance.
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2016 PBR World Finals Round 3 Exhilarating Moments
Besides the dedication of the competitors who obviously enjoy all aspects of the competition, what makes these PBR World Finals events so overwhelmingly unforgettable is the loyalty of the fans whose imagination the sport has captured from day one. Those fans come back again and again to cheer their favorite rider or bull.
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2016 PBR World Finals Updates
On November 1, 2016 Aaron Roy was riding the Bull called Locked & Loaded at 6.8 seconds. He was stepped on by his bull while he still hung to him. His right femur was fractured and will need surgery. He was immediately taken to University Medical Center’s Trauma Center. We captured those moments for our readers.
Having spoken of Aaron Roy injuries, it is paramount now to re-assure our readers that the rules of the sport are constantly being looked at with a view to tightening them for the safety of the riders. Thus for instance in place of the cowboy hat that horse as well as bull riders favor, a rule was made in 2013 that riders born after 1994 must wear a protective helmet. And although some older contestants might still opt for the cowboy hat, younger competitors are bound by the 2013 rule. Another safety measure will also be enforced requiring any rider who shows symptoms of concussion not to be allowed another ride that same night and to pass three concussion tests before doing so. This is definitely better for PBR contests especially now and enhances its status as a national and international sport and any measure added for the safety and welfare of riders and bulls will be always welcome.
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2016 PBR World Finals and Dustin Lynch
The 2016 PBR World Finals is proving not only to offer first class exhilarating action in the ring but also first class and music entertainment with numerous artists. On Round 3 night, it was country music singer and writer Dustin Lynch. He is well known with his numerous famous songs like “Mind Reader”, “Seeing Red” and “Love me or Leave Me”.
